← Meta Interview Insights

Meta·Software Engineer·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Senior

Senior
Apr 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a product design role at Meta and got hit with a classic product sense question about Yelp. Pretty standard for this type of loop but still requires some prep to not fumble it.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

What product or feature would you add to Yelp to improve it?

Product Sense & IdeationProduct StrategyRoadmap Prioritization
Author's notes

I went with a feature around personalized recommendations based on past dining behavior, which felt solid but in hindsight I spent too long on the setup and not enough time actually defending the prioritization.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the goal (e.g., increase user engagement or retention) and identifying a specific user pain point through a structured product sense framework. Then propose a feature that leverages Yelp's unique data and Meta's engineering strengths, and prioritize it using impact vs. effort. Finally, outline how you would measure success and iterate.

Pro tip: Show that you understand Yelp's business model and competitive landscape by tying your feature to a clear metric (e.g., daily active users, review submissions) and explaining how it differentiates Yelp from Google Maps or TripAdvisor.

1. Clarify the Goal and Scope

Ask clarifying questions to understand what 'improve' means (e.g., user growth, engagement, monetization) and which user segment to focus on. This shows you can align with business objectives.

2. Identify a User Pain Point

Choose a specific user segment (e.g., diners, reviewers) and articulate a concrete problem they face, such as difficulty discovering personalized recommendations or lack of trust in reviews.

3. Propose a Feature Solution

Describe a feature that addresses the pain point, leveraging Yelp's strengths (e.g., rich review data, photos) and Meta's tech (e.g., AI, social graph). Be specific about how it works.

4. Prioritize and Justify

Explain why this feature is high-impact and feasible compared to alternatives, using a framework like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or impact vs. effort. Mention trade-offs.

5. Define Success Metrics and Next Steps

Outline how you would measure success (e.g., increase in reviews, session time) and what you would do to iterate or scale. This shows a results-oriented mindset.

Key Points to Mention

  • User segmentation and empathy: focus on a specific user group and their needs.
  • Leveraging Yelp's unique data (reviews, photos, check-ins) and Meta's AI/social capabilities.
  • Prioritization frameworks (e.g., RICE, impact vs. effort) to justify the feature.
  • Clear success metrics (e.g., engagement, retention, review volume) and how to measure them.
  • Competitive differentiation: how the feature sets Yelp apart from Google Maps, TripAdvisor, etc.
  • Technical feasibility and potential challenges (e.g., data privacy, scalability).

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.